Many types of trailer/tractor hitches are available in the prior art and, although the present disclosure will deal trailer hitches of the ball and corresponding mating hood variety, it is understood that the apparatus of the present invention is intended to be used generally on any style of trailer hitch device where the operator of the vehicle is generally unable to physically directly view the engagement of the hitch ball with the hood. Typically, the hitch ball is rigidly mounted to the tow vehicle below the line of sight from the vehicle operator sitting in the normal driving position because of the intervening tailgate on a pickup truck or tailgate on a van, or trunk on a conventional sedan car.
Because line of sight viewing of the actual engagement of a trailer hood over a vehicle mounted hitch ball is commonly unavailable, a vehicle operator has to estimate an approximate alignment of the hood with the ball and one or more times exit the vehicle to check the alignment so as to guide the vehicle to place the hitch ball generally vertically beneath the elevated trailer hood. Misalignment can often result in slight damage to the vehicle. Therefore, there exists a continuing need for a trailer hitch guide so that a vehicle operator can guide the hitch ball into a vertically aligned coupling position under a trailer drawbar mounted hood so that the hood may then be lowered into engagement with the hitch ball.
In the prior art of which applicant is aware, many attempts have been made to solve this problem. In particular, applicant is aware of following United States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,621 which issued Sep. 23, 1997 to Lockwood for a Vehicle Alignment Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,056 which issued Mar. 1, 1994 to Fath for a Trailer Hitch Guide, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,590 which issued Oct. 9, 1990 to Davenport for a Trailer Hitching Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,176 which issued on May 19, 1987 to Sand for a Trailer Hitch Guide, U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,183 which issued Dec. 24, 1985 to Cook for a Trailer Hitch Guide, U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,302 which issued Oct. 18, 1977 to Campbell for a Trailer Hitch Guide Means, U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,056 which issued Mar. 15, 1977 to Christensen for Visual Guide Device For Hitching Vehicles, U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,328 which issued Feb. 18, 1975 to Alexander for a Trailer Hitch Guide, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,703 which issued to Voelkerding for a Trailer Hitch Guiding Device.
Typically in the prior art references, the devices provide a sight guide mounted in some fashion to the drawbar hood on the trailer and a corresponding sight guide mounted on the hitch ball or supporting frame on the vehicle. The sight guides are used for primary alignment of the ball and hood. Other devices, such as the Alexander trailer hitch guide, disclose bracketing the trailer hitch drawbar with indicators such as flags that indicate whether the drawbar is out of longitudinal alignment with the hitch ball as the vehicle is translated towards the trailer. Thus movement of the flag such as in the Alexander device, indicates that the trailer drawbar is contacting the flag and is thus out of alignment with the hitch ball. The prior art references all deal with various mechanisms for mounting the sighting and alignment indicators on the vehicle hitch ball or supporting frame.
It is an object of the present invention to improve on the requirement taught in the prior art of a sighting and alignment device that is to be mounted onto the vehicle. It is a further object to the present invention to provide a simplified device which allows for consistent and accurate alignment of the trailer drawbar hood over the hitch ball.